True and Candid
Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North
Carolinawritten byLindemann, Erika William Bagley Letter Books (#863-z),
Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill Letter from William Bagley to D. W. Bagley,
July 1, 1843William Bagley 4 pages, 4 page images1843Southern Historical Collection, University of North
Carolina at Chapel HillCall number 863-z (Southern Historical
Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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Hill.

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Bagley describes for his father a trip to Pilot Mountain and
Greensboro, NC, explains his intention to join the Philanthropic Society,
shares news from his sisters' recent letters, and gives an account of his
expenses for the session.

I arrived last tuesday from my trip to the western part of the
state after spending three weeks very pleasantly and profitably indeed, I went
no farther than the
Pilot
Mountain in the eastern part of
Surry
County, though I passed through
Greensborough &
Salem &
many plesant little villages in going and returning while at
Greensborough we visited the "Caldwell Institute",2
among other things; that is the place
Governor Morehead talked of sending me; there are from
seventy to a hundred students, so I understood, & party spirit runs very
high between the two societies. We witnessed from the portico of our hotel a
fight between two of the students belonging to different societies, they were
not much injured however at that time, a great crowd assembling & soon
separating them, that occurred after supper, but next morning it proved to be
more serious, one of the young men that was engaged on the former evening being
attacked & knocked down & cutting his opponent severely in the face,
you probably may not know what I mean by societies. Every College & large
male school have two societies & every student that comes, joins one of the
other. Party spirit does not run so high here, so I understand, The names of
the two societies here are
Dialectic &
Philanthropic, I expect to join the
Philanthropic, I would give you a minute description of my
trip but I have kept a regular journal & I anticipate a great deal of
pleasure in sitting around the fireside next winter & reading over my
adventures & fancy depicts to me the bright eyes and glowing cheeks of my
little sisses as they look on with anxiety to hear the result & the
occasional smiles of
Ma,
Cousin, & yourself. I received a letter from
Sis,
day before yesterday who insists upon my going to see her, but I have now
nearly a fortnight vacation in which I can accomplish something & it will
cost me more, I expect than my whole trip to the west, she has lately returned
from
Boydton3
where she spent her time quite pleasantly, I presume, from the lively manner in
which her letter is written, I would have been very glad if she had visited
this place but as she did not she will lose the opportunity of seeing me until
next winter, I expect. I received to-day a letter from Miss
Clementina with which I was very much pleased, I am
glad to see her spelling so correct & I hope she will continue to improve
in every thing she undertakes, she says she gets four pages in French & can
read right along, well I think that is progressing finely, she also says I need
not be surprised to see her &
Met at
Greensboro'4 I am
sure I would be very happy to see them there and even to hear that they were
there, I passed by the building while I was in the place & saw the young
ladies exercising on horseback, I think it is one of the best female
institutions in the state present my compliments to Miss
Clementina & tell her I would be glad to hear
from her often, I would also be well pleased if Miss Marietta would honor me with her correspondence. I have bought no
clothes since I have been here with the exception of some under-clothing &
c, I wrote to you in my first letter for some & it probably may be as well
for you to send me the materials and let me have them made here though it costs
very high but then they will be well done, just as you please, though, about
that, In addition to the clothes I shall need some money in order to pay my
tuition, boardbill & c, as I have had to pay well for every thing I have used since I have been here, My board bill will
be from 50 to 60 dollars at the end of the session,5
& my tuition, connected with room rent & servant hire, I understand,
will be $31.50 which I have to pay in advance, I shall need about that
much at present which you will oblige me by sending first opportunity, I should
not have needed any until the latter part of the session if I had not taken
that trip which cost me some twenty five dollars though I had not enough when I
started to defray all the expenses of a session & have some for paying
incidental expenses such as mending & c but I thought I had the greatest
sufficiency when I left & I have no doubt you did, in order to give you
some idea I will make out a little list, my board at $10 a month will be
about $60, tuition, $31.50, bed $25 furniture $5
washing $5 & there are other little expenses necessarily attending
an Institution of this kind, tho' next session it will be cheaper as I shall
not have to buy my bed or funiture & at the end of three years (if I should
be so fortunate as to remain) I can sell them for nearly the same, I dislike,
Pa, to
make this request very much, but I know full well that I am writing to a kind
parent, who is unwilling that I should lack for any thing, I shall only need
enough to pay my tuition & c now, I believe, but towards the close of the
session about $60 more I expect though I will write you concerning it, I
expect to live as economically as I possibly can & to make as much headway
as possible in my studies during my stay here, Give my best respects to
Mrs
Henderson & family, major
Wattss family & in fine all with whom I was intimately
acquainted, write me concerning the school, how
many scholars
Mr Matthews has, present him also with my best respects, I
had like to have forgotten to tell you that the crops were beautiful every
where I went & especially wheat & if nothing should prevent there will
be a great abundance made,

Give my best love to
Ma,
Cousin, the two Grandmas'
Mr Moore my little sisters & cousins & all the
rest of the family if I have left out any in the above list, white & black,
Give little
Helen a smack for
'Bud',
please let me hear from you often

Very affectionately Your son6D.W.
BagleyWilliamston
N.C.

1. William Bagley Papers, SHC. The letter appears on pages 78 to
81 of a letterbook measuring 7 1/4 by 9 1/4 inches and containing 160 numbered
pages. Once bound, the letterbook (Volume 1) is now held together by a fragile
spine. The front flyleaf contains the inscription "William
Bagley/Bought in
New York June 1842." An "Index to this book" lists Bagley's
correspondents and the page numbers on which their letters appear. The
letterbook contains copies (or drafts) of letters
Bagley wrote from January 21, 1840, through August 27,
1844.

2. The
Caldwell Institute, a
Presbyterian theological and classical academy, was
founded near
Greensboro,
NC, in 1767 by
Rev. David
Caldwell (1725-1824). It enrolled between twelve and twenty students
annually until it closed in 1822 (Powell, North Carolina
through Four Centuries 128).

3.
Bagley's correspondence indicates that
Boydton,
VA, was the home of an aunt and uncle with the last name of
Watts.

4.
Greensboro,
NC, was the site of the
Edgeworth Female
Seminary, founded in 1840.
Marietta and
Clementina Bagley were enrolled at the
Seminary by
June 1844. Although it closed early in the
Civil War,
it reopened from 1862-68, then burned in 1872.

5.
Bagley boarded at
Steward's
Hall, where his landlady was
Caroline
L. Scott (University Papers, August 28, 1844, UA). His roommate was
Richard Thomas Jackson of
Jackson,
NC, who enrolled in the
University as a sophomore in 1843, joined the
Philanthropic Society, and graduated in 1846.
Jackson became a physician.